Both men fired as more shots peppered the area from the swerving truckload of terrorists. Finally, one of Hawk’s bullets found its mark, puncturing the front left tire. The loose rubber flapped on the runway as the vehicle continued driving toward them.
The flat had slowed the truck down enough that Hawk figured Bull was going to arrive first. It also gave Hawk a better chance to hit another tire. Steadying his weapon, he took aim again. His third shot found its target. This time instead of charging ahead, the truck slowed, teetered, and then careened onto its side. Men spilled out onto the tarmac, some of them getting knocked out by the blow. But not all of them.
By Hawk’s count, five men weathered the crash in good enough condition to continue their assault. They sought cover behind their overturned vehicle as Hawk and Vaughn reloaded and continued to fight back. After a few seconds, an agonizing scream pierced Hawk’s ears. Glancing behind him, he saw Tamir clutching his shoulder as blood spilled onto the ground.
“Stay down,” Hawk said as he turned his attention back to the hostiles about a hundred meters away.
Bull whipped his Jeep in front of Hawk and Vaughn, leaving the vehicle running and using it to shield them from incoming fire. He dove to the ground to help A’isha and Tamir get inside.
“Come on,” Hawk said. “We need to move.”
Bull helped A’isha inside, settling her into the back as quickly as possible. Tamir stood upright, prompting shouts for him to get down by Vaughn and Hawk.
“Stay low,” Hawk instructed.
Tamir didn’t react fast enough, taking two bullets to the chest. He collapsed to the ground.
Hawk cursed under his breath as he looked into Tamir’s wide eyes.
“I’m going to die,” Tamir said.
“No, you’re not,” Hawk said. “Just focus on me. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Tamir said.
Bullets continued to skip all around them, some of them pounding the vehicle.
“We need to go,” Bull said as he climbed behind the steering wheel. He leaned down, offering his hand to Hawk, but the hulking CIA agent rolled onto the tarmac when a shot ripped through his skull.
Tamir screamed again in panic. “We’re all going to die.”
“Stay calm, and keep your head down,” Hawk said as he helped Tamir into the backseat.
Meanwhile, A’isha had crouched into the fetal position with her head buried in her hands. She was muttering a prayer between heaving sobs.
“I’ll cover you while you get in,” Hawk said to Vaughn.
Vaughn nodded and made a dash across the seats before using the passenger side door as a shield while he fired back at the terrorists. One of the men wrestled with his gun when it jammed, giving Vaughn a clear shot. He didn’t miss, drilling the man in the chest and sending him toppling over the side.
Hawk didn’t want to leave Bull behind, even if he was already dead.
“I know you’re in the moment, Hawk,” Alex said over the coms, “but I want you to know there is another truck loaded with terrorists heading your way right now.”
“Thanks, Alex,” Hawk said as he hoisted Bull’s body into the back across Tamir and A’isha.
Hawk fired a couple more shots at the terrorists before ramming the Jeep into drive and peeling out of there. He kept his head down, just barely high enough to see over the dashboard. More bullets flew past, pinging off the vehicle as they accelerated toward the plane.
“Whatever you do, just stay down,” Hawk said.
Tamir couldn’t help himself. He turned around and raised up to see the scene behind him. That’s when another shot struck him in the head. He fell over dead instantly, evoking more hysterical screams from A’isha.
Hawk and Vaughn rushed her into the plane before dragging Bull inside as well. With Tamir already dead, Hawk saw no reason to bring him along.
Even before the door was closed, the pilot spun the plane around and taxied down the runway. They didn’t wait for any confirmation from traffic control as they raced to get airborne. Once the plane soared skyward, an RPG whizzed past the wing.
“What the hell was that?” Vaughn asked.
“That was Afghanistan,” Hawk said.
Vaughn glanced down at Bull. “Damn it. He was such a good man. How am I gonna tell Judy about this?”
“The words never come easy,” Hawk said.
“What happened out there?” Alex asked over the coms.
“We were ambushed,” Hawk said.
“I don’t know where those people came from,” Alex said. “I didn’t see anything close to that number of heat signatures until you left the terminal. They must’ve been masking it somehow.”
“Well, whatever they did, it worked,” Hawk said. “And, unfortunately, we lost a good agent and Jahedah’s brother, Tamir.”
“I can’t believe this,” Alex said. “Jahedah set us up.”
“Maybe,” Hawk said. “I just don’t know why she’d do that if her daughter was with us.”
“What other explanation is there for this?”
“I don’t know right now,” Hawk said. “All I know is that they knew we were coming.”
CHAPTER 8
Washington, D.C.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Titus Black visited the CIA safe house where Frank Stone had been holed up while acclimating himself to life as a free man. The initial psychiatric evaluation on Stone by the agency recommended that he take some more time before being thrust back into everyday life. Meanwhile, President Young was itching to marshal Stone into the Rose Garden for a photo op and a victorious press conference. And raising the tension even more was Stone's strong desire to get back to his normal life after being undercover for so long.
Black heard shouting as he approached the front door.
“I was held as a prisoner for six months by terrorists, and now I’m starting to feel like that all over again—in my own country,” Stone yelled.
Black knocked on the door, knowing that his intrusion would be a welcome relief to the agent receiving the brunt of Stone’s ire.
The door swung open, and an agent greeted Black at gunpoint. "Let
